After being jilted, the entire neighboring village was filled with deep regret.

Chapter 490 Breakthrough in the Case
Su Zhan talked on and on until the carriage entered the city.

They stopped dwelling on the matter of New Year's gifts, but Princess Huai'an remained troubled by Shen Congrong's words and continued to ponder the matter after returning home.

"Amber, what do you think A-Jue is doing all this for? Does he have nothing better to do in Zhaohua County?"

Amber looked troubled and replied weakly, "Princess, I don't think the young master would do anything useless. He must have something to gain by helping the Shen family like this."

Princess Huai'an suddenly looked at Amber, "I think so too, but... but what does he want from the Shen family? As far as I know, the Shen family comes from an ordinary background. If Shen Yi hadn't become the adopted son of the Marquis of Yong'an and been promoted by the Marquis of Yong'an, he would still be a peasant family, at most a local gentry, and would never have reached the position of county magistrate!"

“Princess, I think it’s different. Didn’t Shen Yi make great contributions at the border? I heard that he was originally a junior commander, and he could have been promoted after making contributions. But he refused, so the Emperor bestowed money and a plaque upon him.”

"He saved the life of the Marquis of Yong'an, so this favor from a powerful figure is inevitable. Shen Yi's current situation is entirely reasonable. What I can't understand is, even if Shen Yi is incredibly talented, the young master wouldn't go to such lengths to win over someone, especially by raising Shen Yi's child! This is simply unbelievable!"

Amber revealed her true thoughts in front of Princess Huai'an.

She watched Murong Jue grow up when he was still in the capital. She knew how much Murong Jue hated children. Back then, when Princess Huai'an brought Murong Jue to a banquet in the palace, several children made a ruckus at the banquet, and he actually beat them up.

At that time, Murong Jue openly expressed his aversion to children, so much so that from then on, no woman dared to bring her child to the Princess's residence.

Princess Huai'an frowned, rubbing her forehead. "Don't even mention you can't understand it; even I find this unbelievable! If those two children were older, I could think of it as a matter between men and women, but they're only eight! My children aren't insane; they couldn't possibly have such thoughts!"

Amber pondered for a moment, then suggested, "Princess, why don't you write a letter directly to the young master to ask for clarification? It's better than worrying like this! Also, the young master should be informed about Miss Zhao's matter."

Princess Huai'an sighed, "Before Zhao Furong's accident, I thought this marriage was quite good. But after her accident, I realized how two-faced she was and how she almost harmed A-Jue. When you write your letter, please ask A-Jue what he thinks about the marriage, so that I don't end up making all this trouble for nothing!"

Amber, hurry up and get it done.

At the same time, Shen Tian also returned to the Sixth Prince's residence.

He casually mentioned the incident at the Buddhist temple to Murong Chen.

"Your Highness, why do you think Murong Jue would help Brother Shen raise his child and give the token to Cong Rong?"

She remembered that in her previous life, Murong Jue had not left the capital. Because of his awkward status, he always kept a low profile and had little reputation in the capital. When he reached marriageable age, the palace issued an imperial decree to marry Zhao Furong.

Murong Xu's ascension to the throne had no impact on Princess Huai'an, so until her death, no one heard of Murong Jue's deeds.

I never imagined that someone so unknown in his previous life would do something so astonishing.

Murong Chen leaned closer to Shen Tian and said with a meaningful smile, "Looks like my cousin is up to something!"

"How so?" Shen Tian asked, very curious.

Seeing that she rarely cared about something, Murong Chen didn't hide it from her.

"I don't know how much you've heard about my aunt's affair. Back then, her husband had an affair behind her back and even had a child with her. My aunt was heartbroken and furious, so she sued him. The matter became a big deal, and my father, in a fit of anger, ordered my aunt to divorce him and demoted the husband's family to commoners. My cousin Jue is, after all, my aunt's only son, and she couldn't possibly give the child to the husband's family. Therefore, my father bestowed upon my cousin Jue the surname Murong."

However, since Jue was not a true member of the Murong royal family, he suffered a lot of bullying since childhood, which fostered his low-key demeanor.

Don't let this kid's unassuming appearance fool you; he's actually quite cunning! To prove himself, he risked his life to infiltrate his father's secret guard camp, where he wields real power!
Not many people know about this. I'm telling you, but don't tell anyone.

Shen Tian nodded hurriedly, "Your Highness, what does this have to do with Murong Jue raising Brother Shen's child?"

Murong Chen chuckled, "Don't be in such a hurry! I haven't finished yet! A-Jue has always disliked children and would never do something like this. His current behavior seems more like he's trying to win Shen Yi's favor. If I remember correctly, Shen Yi has a daughter who is about the same age as A-Jue, right?"

Shen Tian stared wide-eyed in astonishment, "You mean Murong Jue has taken a liking to Yue Zhang? That can't be!"

Murong Chen shrugged. "Apart from this reason, none of the other reasons hold water! Shall we take a gamble?"

"What are we betting on?" Shen Tian leaned closer.

Murong Chen's smile deepened. "Let's bet on A-Jue's motives! If I lose, you can do whatever you want with me; if you lose, I can do whatever I want with you. How about it?"

As he spoke, Murong Chen's gaze toward Shen Tian gradually became somewhat improper.

Shen Tian laughed in exasperation, then gave a coquettish huff, "Your Highness, I'm a woman, not a fool. Besides, do I look that easy to fool? I gain nothing from this bet, whether I win or lose. I'm not playing."

Murong Jue's matter was thus dropped and never mentioned again.

More than ten days have passed in the blink of an eye, and the festive atmosphere in the capital city is getting stronger as the end of the year approaches.

Only in the palace.

As the identities of the dead in Jinlan Courtyard were revealed one by one, the Emperor and Empress's mood grew heavier with each passing day.

"Twenty-three skeletons, five pregnant palace maids, three elderly palace maids, six young palace maids around fifteen or sixteen years old, and the rest are all eunuchs! These people used to work in the Imperial Kitchen or the Laundry Department, and two of them are suspected to be attendants from the Imperial Hospital. How interesting!" The emperor gritted his teeth and clenched his fists.

The Empress was also still shaken. "The Imperial Kitchen and the Laundry Department are in charge of the food and clothing of the various masters in the palace. They are also the easiest places to commit tampering. The deaths of these people are probably the result of countless conspiracies and schemes!"

The Empress closed her eyes tightly, a chill running down her spine as she pondered the matter.

Just then, Eunuch Zhou rushed in and reported, "Your Majesty, we have investigated all the people Xiao Muzi frequently contacted before his death. They include the head chef, stewards, and nannies of the Imperial Kitchen, as well as the maids who tended the fire, and others."

"Who?" The emperor showed signs of anger.

Eunuch Zhou hurriedly knelt down. "There is another person, Chun Tao, the head of the Laundry Department. She was Consort Li's maidservant. After Consort Li passed away, she took care of the Second Prince. Later, when the Second Prince left the palace to establish his own residence, Chun Tao received the Empress Dowager's favor and became the head of the Laundry Department."